Merge pull request #21945 from edx/nedbat/update-contributing

Bring this file into the 21st century

README.rst

-This is the main edX platform which consists of LMS and Studio.
-
+This is the core repository of the Open edX software. It includes the LMS
+(student-facing, delivering courseware), and Studio (course authoring)
+components.
 
 Installation
 ------------
 
-Please refer to the following wiki pages in our `configuration repo`_ to
-install edX:
+Installing and running an Open edX instance is not simple.  We strongly
+recommend that you use a service provider to run the software for you.  They
+have free trials that make it easy to get started:
+https://openedx.org/get-started/
+
+If you will be modifying edx-platform code, the `Open edX Developer Stack`_ is
+a Docker-based development environment.
 
--  `edX Developer Stack`_: These instructions are for developers who want
-   to contribute or make changes to the edX source code.
--  `edX Full Stack`_: Using Vagrant/Virtualbox this will setup all edX
-   services on a single server in a production like configuration.
--  `edX Ubuntu 16.04 64-bit Installation`_: This will install edX on an
-   existing Ubuntu 16.04 server.
+If you want to run your own Open edX server and have the technical skills to do
+so, `Open edX Ubuntu 16.04 64-bit Installation`_ has instructions to install
+it on an existing Ubuntu 16.04 server.
 
-.. _configuration repo: https://github.com/edx/configuration
-.. _edX Developer Stack: https://github.com/edx/devstack
-.. _edX Full Stack: https://openedx.atlassian.net/wiki/display/OpenOPS/Running+Fullstack
-.. _edX Ubuntu 16.04 64-bit Installation: https://openedx.atlassian.net/wiki/display/OpenOPS/Native+Open+edX+Ubuntu+16.04+64+bit+Installation
+.. _Open edX Developer Stack: https://github.com/edx/devstack
+.. _Open edX Ubuntu 16.04 64-bit Installation: https://openedx.atlassian.net/wiki/display/OpenOPS/Native+Open+edX+Ubuntu+16.04+64+bit+Installation
 
 
 License
@@ -32,69 +33,53 @@ unless otherwise noted. Please see the `LICENSE`_ file for details.
 More about Open edX
 -------------------
 
-See the `Open edX site`_ to learn more about Open edX. You can find
-information about the edX roadmap, as well as about hosting, extending, and
-contributing to Open edX. In addition, the Open edX Portal provides product
-announcements, the Open edX blog, and other rich community resources.
+See the `Open edX site`_ to learn more about the Open edX world. You can find
+information about hosting, extending, and contributing to Open edX software. In
+addition, the Open edX site provides product announcements, the Open edX blog,
+and other rich community resources.
 
-.. _Open edX site: https://open.edx.org
+.. _Open edX site: https://openedx.org
 
 Documentation
 -------------
 
-Documentation details can be found in the `docs index.rst`_.
+Documentation can be found at https://docs.edx.org.
 
-.. _docs index.rst: docs/index.rst
 
 Getting Help
 ------------
 
-If you’re having trouble, we have several different mailing lists where
-you can ask for help:
-
--  `openedx-ops`_: everything related to *running* Open edX. This
-   includes installation issues, server management, cost analysis, and
-   so on.
--  `openedx-translation`_: everything related to *translating* Open edX
-   into other languages. This includes volunteer translators, our
-   internationalization infrastructure, issues related to Transifex, and
-   so on.
--  `openedx-analytics`_: everything related to *analytics* in Open edX.
--  `edx-code`_: anything else related to Open edX. This includes feature
-   requests, idea proposals, refactorings, and so on.
+If you're having trouble, we have discussion forums at
+https://discuss.openedx.org where you can connect with others in the community.
 
 Our real-time conversations are on Slack. You can request a `Slack
 invitation`_, then join our `community Slack team`_.
 
-.. _openedx-ops: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/openedx-ops
-.. _openedx-translation: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/openedx-translation
-.. _openedx-analytics: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/openedx-analytics
-.. _edx-code: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/edx-code
+For more information about these options, see the `Getting Help`_ page.
+
 .. _Slack invitation: https://openedx-slack-invite.herokuapp.com/
 .. _community Slack team: http://openedx.slack.com/
+.. _Getting Help: https://openedx.org/getting-help
 
 
 Issue Tracker
 -------------
 
-`We use JIRA for our issue tracker`_, not GitHub Issues. To file a bug
-or request a new feature, please make a free account on our JIRA and
-create a new issue! If you’re filing a bug, we’d appreciate it if you
-would follow `our guidelines for filing high-quality, actionable bug
-reports`_. Thanks!! 
+We use JIRA for our issue tracker, not GitHub issues. You can search
+`previously reported issues`_.  If you need to report a problem,
+please make a free account on our JIRA and `create a new issue`_.
 
-.. _We use JIRA for our issue tracker: https://openedx.atlassian.net/
-.. _our guidelines for filing high-quality, actionable bug reports: https://openedx.atlassian.net/wiki/display/SUST/How+to+File+a+Quality+Bug+Report
+.. _previously reported issues: https://openedx.atlassian.net/projects/CRI/issues
+.. _create a new issue: https://openedx.atlassian.net/secure/CreateIssue.jspa?issuetype=1&pid=11900
 
 
 How to Contribute
 -----------------
 
-Contributions are very welcome, but for legal reasons, you must submit a
-signed `individual contributor agreement`_ before we can accept your
-contribution. See our `CONTRIBUTING`_ file for more information – it
-also contains guidelines for how to maintain high code quality, which
-will make your contribution more likely to be accepted.
+Contributions are welcome! The first step is to submit a signed
+`individual contributor agreement`_.  See our `CONTRIBUTING`_ file for more
+information – it also contains guidelines for how to maintain high code
+quality, which will make your contribution more likely to be accepted.
 
 
 Reporting Security Issues
@@ -103,5 +88,5 @@ Reporting Security Issues
 Please do not report security issues in public. Please email
 security@edx.org.
 
-.. _individual contributor agreement: https://open.edx.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/individual-contributor-agreement.pdf
+.. _individual contributor agreement: https://openedx.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/individual-contributor-agreement.pdf
 .. _CONTRIBUTING: https://github.com/edx/edx-platform/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.rst